


Adventures of Irish Steve

by bonzai_bunny



Series: Tumblr Ficlets [6]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Childhood Friends, Ficlet, Gen, Irish Steve Rogers, No proofreading we die like mne
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2018-12-03
Packaged: 2019-09-06 20:08:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16839517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bonzai_bunny/pseuds/bonzai_bunny
Summary: Bucky meets a weird kid and maybe they end up friends.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Another tumblr fic! Just throwing this out into the void but I have to say I do love the thought of bby Irish Steve.

“Do you always pick fights with people three times your size?” Bucky asked down at the kid who couldn’t have been older than 7, he was so tiny. He had absolutely no chance with the two older kids Bucky just saw him try to take on for knocking a little girl down, as evidenced by the big bruises around his eyes and mouth.

The kid wiped blood angrily from his nose, “What’s it to you? Havin' a bit of a laugh?" 

Bucky’s eyebrows rose at the accent (and the response–he wasn’t too grateful, was he?). "Not from around here, are you?”

“I was born and raised in Brooklyn. Not that it’s any of your business.”

Bucky nearly laughed, this kid was too much. All bite and no brawn. “The way you talk is funny is all and you sure are rude for someone who just got their ass saved, kid.”

The kid faltered at that and his shoulders slumped, “Sorry. Thanks for helping me. Wasn’t sure if you were poking fun and all.”

“Well, I’m not,” Bucky held out his hand to help the other up, “My name is James but everyone calls me Bucky.”

The kid hesitated before taking Bucky’s hand and allowed himself to be pulled up. “I’m Steve. Me mum’s from Ireland, which is why I talk different I guess.”

Bucky couldn’t help but smile. The way he talked was so endearing. “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. My whole tenement is full of folk from over there, but none of them are kin to us, I don’t think. Where’s your family from?”

“Well the Barnes’s have been in this city for a long time, but I think I might have a great great grandpa from Romania or something.”

Steve nodded and Bucky still couldn’t get over how small this kid was. He should probably take him home to his mother (if she was anything like the other mothers in Brooklyn, she would tear Steve’s hide for getting into a fight and then Bucky too for good measure). 

“How old are you?”

“I’m nine,” the kid said proudly and Bucky was surprised. Only a year younger than him, and he was so tiny. 

“I’m nine too, but I turn ten next month. Maybe we should get you cleaned up and to your ma before she kills us?”

Steve grimaced, looking down at himself, where he was covered in dirt and there were blood stains on his shirt.

“Good idea. My mum won’t be home for a few hours and I can clean up before then. I live just a block or two from here.”

“Well she’s still gonna know on account of your black eye, but it won’t look so bad, I guess.”

“My–?” Steve seemed confused and then touched the tender area with his face with a loud, “Shite!” and Bucky bit his lip to stop from laughing. This kid seemed like he would never stop surprising him. 

“She’s definitely going to have my arse now. I’m not even supposed to be out of bed today!”

Bucky sympathized, he really did. “Hey now, we can make up something. Say you had to take a leak but fell down stairs or something.”

Steve shook his head solemnly, “No she wouldn’t believe that. And besides, I won’t lie to her. M'not a liar.”

“Your funeral,” Bucky shrugged, but really, looking at Steve’s staunch and determined face, his admiration was growing for this tiny kid.

Steve nodded and squinted at the sun in the distance, the rays reflecting off the gold in his hair. “I’ll have to face it sooner or later. Might as well clean up the blood now, before it gets worse.”

“Well it was nice meeting you,” Bucky offered with a pat on his shoulder. The other seemed surprised at the contact and gave a small smile, the first one Bucky had seen on him. He looked nicer when he was smiling.

“Thanks again, for helping me.”

“Well, don’t make a habit of it and you’re welcome.”

Steve shrugged in a worryingly flippant way. “I’m not going to make promises. Like I said, I’m not a liar.” 

“Right. Will I see you again?”

“Sure. I’m always around.”

Bucky shoved his hands in his pockets. “Maybe next time won’t involve so much blood.”

Steve smiled again and Bucky felt like it was his new personal mission to make Steve smile as much as possible. “Let’s hope. It was nice meeting you, Bucky.”

“You too, Steve." 

Steve walked stiffly out of the alley in the other direction and Bucky tried to assuage this new fear that a stiff breeze would knock him over and he’d hurt himself. It only helped a little that he got the feeling that he and Steve would be seeing a lot of each other.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just another drabble, same setting.

“I swear half the words you say, you make up,” Bucky said, giving Steve, who was nine to Bucky’s ten, a side eye.

“I don’t,” Steve protested in that sing-songy lilt of his. He took a sip of his soda and wrinkled his nose at the harsh bubbles.

“Yesterday you called a girl a ‘lovely bird,’” Bucky deadpanned.

Steve’s ears turned red. “That’s what she was!”

“No one calls girls ‘birds’ here, pal. They’re either dames or they’re girls, got it?”

Steve nodded. He understood that he wouldn’t begin to fit in if he didn’t at least sound the part.

“You said you know more than one language?”

Steve shrugged. “I guess. I know a bit of sign language, because of my hearing and me mum taught me a bit of Gaelic.”

Bucky gave a serious nod. “Good. You can teach me and we’ll get some dames in no time.”

“Birds,” Steve interjected with a smile and Bucky punched him lightly in the arm.

“Alright wiseguy, don’t get smart.” 


End file.
